While many are making summer plans, this is the time of the year when work ramps up for Alaska's Department of Fish and Game.
The department received funding from the Alaska Energy Authority to build four new weirs in Lake Creek and Talachulitna on the Yetna side of the river and in Montana Creek and on the middle fork of the Chulitna on the main stem of the Susitna river.
"It will allow us to make projections in the future on what we think is going to come up," Department Region Research Coordinator Jack Erickson said. "They will help with figuring out run timing, abundance estimates and will help us set our escapement goals."
Since the beginning of the year, crews have worked five days a week assembling tens of thousands of pieces to make 750 feet of weir material. The new weirs will improve the management of the king salmon. In the past, these four locations were measured by an aerial count but it takes a weir on the ground to get a more exact number.
"Fish and game wanted to make sure we know how many Chinook salmon are in this system," Erickson said. "Distribution of these Chinook salmon is of real importance to making decisions associated with permitting Sustina-Watana."
The department plans to install these new weirs in the four locations at the end of May. From that point, the department will be counting King Salmon until the end of June.
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